


plant their hearts in community gardens

by erintoknow



Series: Aria-Rough Drafts [30]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Slow Burn, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 23:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20786687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erintoknow/pseuds/erintoknow
Summary: Ortega's invited you out again. Why do you keep accepting these?





	plant their hearts in community gardens

**Author's Note:**

> title from [[Community Gardens by the scary jokes]](https://thescaryjokes.bandcamp.com/track/community-gardens-feat-louie-zong)

Ortega gets about halfway to the front doors before she realizes (acknowledges?) that you aren’t following her. She turns on her head, flaps her arms in a ‘what?’ gesture.

You pull your shawl tight around you. Stare up at the front facade of the Los Diablos Children’s Hospital, white tiling and red brickwork and dozens of little panes of glass like too many eyes. “Ortega…” you try to keep the panic out of your voice. “I thought you said we were doing something _fun_.”

She walks back to you, tight frown on her face. “We used to do this all the time, remember?”

You stare at her, “Do _what_?”

“Visits? Readings? You know?”

Bite your lip, is that true? Ortega seems so sure of it, but… Think back to hospitals all your memory coughs up is a very _different_ kind of hospital. One that makes your stomach roil and your head dizzy. True or not there’s still one problem: “Ortega… I’m _trying_ to keep a low profile, remember?”

Ortega sighs, pats you on the shoulder. “Look, there’s no PR crew, no cameras, I haven’t even told Chen. The only person who knows we’re coming is the lady in charge of managing volunteers, Sue, and as far she knows you’re just a friend I’m dragging along.” She steps beside you, hooking her arm in yours. “So, you’ve got nothing to worry about, okay?”

You tense up as Ortega half-walks, half-drags you to the doors. “If–if ninjas descend from the ceiling and k–k–kidnap me, I want you to know…”

“Yeah?”

“I f–f–fucking hate you.”

Bright lights and white walls, men and women in scrubs, medical masks. You keep your shades on, damn politeness. Mercifully, hardly anyone spares you a thought, eyes sliding off. Fewer than you’d have believe recognize Ortega out of her Ranger’s outfit. You do get the sense she’s a known quantity here, this isn’t her first time doing this. You’ll just have to trust her; there’s an uncomfortable thought.

You wish you had the Rat King handy, you can wrap a song tight around your head but you could stand to have a little help filtering out the background noise. Maybe it’s your own baggage, but the chatter of hospital thoughts always has this tension to it – forced cheeriness.

Hang back and let Ortega talk to the front desk, a few minutes of waiting and the woman, she mentioned, Sue? –Susan?– comes out frown behind the too-thick fireproof doors. Straight brown hair, dressed in white, stud earrings. Her and Ortega make small talk, and Ortega keeps glancing your way. Expecting you to join in? Hang back, you’re not talking to any doctors today, thanks. You worry the sleeves of your shirt, pulled down to the wrists. Rub the fabric between your fingers, trace patterns over your thigh, something to do that isn’t further chewing up the inside of your cheek.

And now Ortega’s beckoning you over. Welp. Take a breath, in, out. You’re not scared. What are you scared of? You are Ghost, mysterious plight of Los Diablos. They should be scared of _you._ Ortega taps the side of her head. No shades? You make a face and she gives you a serious look. You huff and pull them off, fold up and tuck them in your purse. White walls. White lights. Fuck. Ortega smiles at you, you fake a smile back.

You’ve got this. Everything’s under control: here we go.

Sue hands the two of you off to an a nurse who in turn acts as your guide. You trail behind, not paying much attention to his and Ortega’s conversation. What you bother to pick up confirms that Ortega’s made a habit of these low-key visits apparently, to different hospitals across the city. Ever since returning to the Rangers. Ortega used to drag you along to official Ranger PR events? You can almost remember. The memory of remembering. Try to think too hard about hospitals though, and you get panicky. Short breath. Little dizzy. A hospital is the last place you want to pass out, thanks.

* * *

A pair of tiny arms clings to your leg and a jolt of panic shoots through you. “Uh… H–h–hello?”

A girl with cropped brown hair stares back up at you. “HI LADY! I like your hair!!”

You glance at Ortega, she’s got her back to you, teaching a boy how to do some fancy handshake. You catch the eye of the nurse, hanging back by the doorway. He gives a small smile. No help there. Look back down at the kid, “T–th–thanks? Um– Don’t you want to talk to Charge over there?”

She remains undeterred. “What’s your name?”

“Ari?”You glance towards Ortega again. Help. She remains utterly unaware of your plight.

“Are you a boy or a girl?”

You choke. “W–w–what? I’m uh– I’m a girl.” Fuck. What did she pick up on? You usually pass just fine these days. You could just die right now, that would be great, thanks.

“Oh. Okay!” There is absolutely no hint of embarrassment in this girl’s mind. “Are you Ms. Charge’s girlfriend?”

You hunch down and very gently try to pry her arms off your leg. “What um, what gives you that idea?”

She tilts her head, staring you down with full intensity. “‘cause you keep looking at Ms. Charge AND _everyone_ knows the hero’s girlfriend ALWAYS has red hair!!”

You smile to hide the panic. “W–what uh, what makes you say that?”

She gives you a doubtful look, can’t believe an adult doesn’t know this. “‘cause it’s in all the _movies_!! Duh!!”

“Ari!’ Oh thank god. You breath a sigh of relief as Ortega walks over, the other kids curiously watching behind her. “Making friends?”

“Hi Ms. Charge!!” The little girl fixes her full attention to Ortega.

“Hello!” She smiles widely, “Introduce me to your friend, Ari?”

“Uh–”

“_My_ name is Casey!” The little terror cuts in. “SHE never asked!” Casey huffs. “Your girlfriend is RUDE Ms. Charge.”

“Girlfriend?” Ortega raises her eyebrows at you.

You shake your head wildly, suddenly way too warm. “S–s–she came up with that one herself!”

An hour and half later of helping Ortega handle the meet and greet and you’re free again.

You slip your shades back on as the two of you exit the hospital. Run a hand through your purse to find the chocolate bar, peel off the wrapper at one end with shaking hands. “That was… that was something.”

Ortega claps you on the back and you stumble forward a step. “See? I told you you’d be fine.”

“Y–yeah, well…” You frown, “If you d–don’t hear from me in a week, you only have yourself to blame.” You break off a piece of the bar, “Want any?”

“I’m good.”Ortega smiles, you shrug and pop the chocolate in your mouth “So…” Her smile fades as she glances towards you, “what did you think?” The two of you leave the parking lot, walk the sidewalk, you follow her lead through the streets.

“What d–did I think?”

“Want to come with me the next time I go?”

You give her a wry smile, “Y–You’re not gonna just spring it on me again?”

She smirks back at you, “Me? Spring something on you? Never.”

“Why do I keep letting you do this to me.” You keep asking yourself that, and the answer hasn’t gotten any less terrifying.

“Do you remember the last time we did one of those visits?” Ortega glances at you as the two of you hurry across the street.

“When was that?”

“It must have been a right before… well,” She grimaces.

“Oh.” You chew your cheek, trying to think back. “I… kind of do? I haven’t thought about this in years, sorry.” You furrow your eyebrows, “I–”

“You were–” Ortega stops herself, “Oh, sorry, go ahead.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, finish your thought, it’s fine.”

Damn. “I… think this might be the first positive experience I’ve had with a hospital in… years.” You grimace, keenly aware of of the line you’re skirting. “Between uh… you in the hospital and…”

“And…?” Ortega slows down to match your pace.

Shake your head, “No, it’s– it’s nothing. Sorry. I don’t want to talk about it.” You try to smile even though it feels fake. “What were you going to say?”

“Oh, well–” Ortega rubs the back of her neck, “I was just going to say; I had to step outside to handle a phone call. And–” She laughs, “You were on the verge of panicking, all ‘Charge! Don’t leave me alone with these kids!”

You come to a stop, and groan, run a hand over your face. “Oh my god.”

“You remember now.”

You bite your lip, nod your head. “Uh-huh.”

“How did you get into teaching them about taxonomy? You never told me.”

You can feel the heat on your face now. “Okay. Look– It–it–it made sense okay? I thought it’d be easiest to keep them from going crazy if I r–r–read them a story???”

“Okay?” Ortega leans her shoulder against a boutique storefront’s window, watching you with a smile. You cross your arms to try and keep your hands from shaking.

“Okay. So. I just–just grabbed the first children’s book I saw. It–It–it was this animal book? I think? But it was all cutesy and _horribly_ inaccurate.” You bite your lip. “And when I pointed out a mistake, they all laughed so… I just… kept… doing… that…?”

She laughs at you.

You cover your face in your hands, heat going straight to your ears. “D–don’t laugh!”

Ortega covers her mouth, “Okay, okay. Sorry, you’re just–”

“I’m just what?” You narrow your eyes at her.

“We’ll have to get you a book to read, the next time we go.”

Oh god. “You’re going to kill me Ortega…”

Her smile falters, “I hope not.”

The two of you walk the next block in silence. Is it as awkward for her as it is for you?

Finally Ortega stretches her arms over her head and says, “I don’t do these hospital visits often enough these days.”

Watch her face from the corner of your eye, trying to get a read on her. “How come?”

Ortega sags, shoulders slumped forward. “Too easy to get caught up in work. Especially lately.” Ah.

You have to keep your face blank, don’t let your heart race. “S–still trying to figure out Ghost?”

She gives you a grim smile. “You know it.”


End file.
